Fagan and Brumbies captain Ben Mowen spoke with White about his decision, but his mind was made up about staying in South Africa.

Brumbies players were shocked on Wednesday night when they learnt of the news on social media.

They were of the belief White was committed to helping them win a Super Rugby title and the coach had spoken to them last week about the pre-season training program.

White is in South Africa and will be at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday morning to watch the Wallabies play the Springboks.

Fairfax Media understands White has been linked to a job at the Cape Town Stormers for next season, either as a coach or a coaching director, or a job at the Durban Sharks.

John Smit, White's former Springboks captain, is the boss at the Sharks.

It is understood missing out on the Wallabies coaching job affected White's desire to stay in Australian rugby.

The ARU overlooked White's World Cup-winning credentials to instead appoint Ewen McKenzie as the new Wallabies coach because of his vision to play ‘‘the Australian way’’, a reference to attacking rugby.

It's understood White met with Mowen in Cape Town on Wednesday night to inform him of his decision.

Larkham and Fisher have been working this week to finalise the 2014 playing roster and tie up loose ends that White left unfinished. Both assistant coaches have contracts to stay with the Brumbies.

But it's unclear whether their deals were affected by White's presence.

White has also signed the bulk of his playing roster until at least the end of 2015, but it's unknown if they have get-out clauses in their deals.

Players re-signed with the Brumbies because they bought into his program and believed he could turn the club into a Super Rugby powerhouse.

White's tenure in Canberra has been riddled with speculation about his future as the Brumbies coach despite signing a four-year deal.

White almost walked out on the Brumbies just two games into his contract when he was linked to the vacant England.

Just hours before the Brumbies clash against the Free State Cheetahs in March last year, he ruled himself out of the running and committed to his Canberra deal.

But since arriving in the capital, White has always stated his desire to return to international coaching.

White led South Africa to a World Cup triumph in 2007.

He was also linked to the Ireland coaching job earlier this year and then the ARU asked White to apply for the Wallabies job.

White met with ARU powerbrokers in Melbourne before the Wallabies' second Test against the British and Irish Lions in June.

Former South African World Cup-winning coach White was recruited to the Brumbies to lift the team out of its darkest era.

But he is now leaving after completing just two years of his four-year contract.

White overhauled Brumbies headquarters in Griffith and led them to within one win of a drought-breaking finals berth in his first year in charge.

In his second season with the Brumbies, they made the finals for the first time since 2004 and stormed into the grand final only to lose to the Chiefs in Hamilton in August.

The Brumbies will move into a new $15 million facility at the University of Canberra next year.